Wicked's Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey Bonded Over Their Theater Kid Roots: 'It Gave Us Fizz' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

‘Wicked’ stars Jonathan Bailey and Ariana Grande.Photo:Giles Keyte/NBC via Getty

Giles Keyte/NBC via Getty

Ariana GrandeandJonathan Baileydidn’t need to fake their chemistry on the set ofWicked— the actors became fast friends thanks to their theater kids roots, they tell PEOPLE.Pop star Grande, 31, andBridgertonactor Bailey, 36, both got their starts on stage: The “thank u, next” singer made her Broadway debut at age 15 in the musicalThirteen, while Bailey was a child actor in the Royal Shakespeare Company before moving on to West End productions likeLes Misérables.“I feel like we were both very theater children in the room,” says Grande, who plays Glinda, the future Good Witch, in the musical prequel toThe Wizard of Oz.“I mean incessant,” agrees Bailey, who stars as Glinda’s dreamy love interest, Prince Fiyero.Ariana Grande in ‘Wicked.'.Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures“And we were very giggly together. That was the tough thing with us. We were the giggliest pair,” adds Grande. “It carbonated our chemistry.”“It gave us fizz,” says Bailey.Grande says that as their characters fell for each other on screen, she and Bailey were “falling for each other as friends in real life, too. That was such a beautiful part of it. We had the most beautiful time.”Though the two also share aBridgertonconnection — a string arrangement of Grande’s “thank u, next” was used in Season 1 of the Netflix series that helped raise Bailey’s profile — Grande admits she never watched the series in full.Jonathan Bailey in ‘Wicked.'.Universal Pictures“I kind of missed the boat, but I need to get on it,” says Grande, telling Bailey, “I watched all your scenes.”Bailey doesn’t seem to mind. “Do you know what? That boat is setting sail and you can jump on it in a few years time. There’s still, I think there’s a good few more years and a few more characters and hopefully stringed arrangements for all these songs,” he says.Wicked, which also starsCynthia Erivoas Elphaba Thropp, the future Wicked Witch of the West andJeff Goldbumas the Wizard of Oz, is based on the long-running Broadway musical.PEOPLE’s ‘Wicked’ issue.Universal PicturesThe movie adaptationearned $114 million from North American theaterson its opening weekend, making it the third highest debut of the year, behindDeadpool & WolverineandInside Out 2.Part 1 is in theaters now: Part 2 debuts in 2025.Buy PEOPLE’s Wicked special editionhere.

Ariana GrandeandJonathan Baileydidn’t need to fake their chemistry on the set ofWicked— the actors became fast friends thanks to their theater kids roots, they tell PEOPLE.

Pop star Grande, 31, andBridgertonactor Bailey, 36, both got their starts on stage: The “thank u, next” singer made her Broadway debut at age 15 in the musicalThirteen, while Bailey was a child actor in the Royal Shakespeare Company before moving on to West End productions likeLes Misérables.

“I feel like we were both very theater children in the room,” says Grande, who plays Glinda, the future Good Witch, in the musical prequel toThe Wizard of Oz.

“I mean incessant,” agrees Bailey, who stars as Glinda’s dreamy love interest, Prince Fiyero.

Ariana Grande in ‘Wicked.'.Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

Giles Keyte/Universal Pictures

“And we were very giggly together. That was the tough thing with us. We were the giggliest pair,” adds Grande. “It carbonated our chemistry.”

“It gave us fizz,” says Bailey.

Grande says that as their characters fell for each other on screen, she and Bailey were “falling for each other as friends in real life, too. That was such a beautiful part of it. We had the most beautiful time.”

Though the two also share aBridgertonconnection — a string arrangement of Grande’s “thank u, next” was used in Season 1 of the Netflix series that helped raise Bailey’s profile — Grande admits she never watched the series in full.

Jonathan Bailey in ‘Wicked.'.Universal Pictures

Universal Pictures

“I kind of missed the boat, but I need to get on it,” says Grande, telling Bailey, “I watched all your scenes.”

Bailey doesn’t seem to mind. “Do you know what? That boat is setting sail and you can jump on it in a few years time. There’s still, I think there’s a good few more years and a few more characters and hopefully stringed arrangements for all these songs,” he says.

Wicked, which also starsCynthia Erivoas Elphaba Thropp, the future Wicked Witch of the West andJeff Goldbumas the Wizard of Oz, is based on the long-running Broadway musical.

PEOPLE’s ‘Wicked’ issue.Universal Pictures

The movie adaptationearned $114 million from North American theaterson its opening weekend, making it the third highest debut of the year, behindDeadpool & WolverineandInside Out 2.

Part 1 is in theaters now: Part 2 debuts in 2025.

Buy PEOPLE’s Wicked special editionhere.

source: people.com